Workout 11.4 brought a different type of AMRAP to Open participants: a slog through bar-facing burpees, overhead squats and muscle-ups. When the workout was announced, few thought 2 complete rounds would be possible in only 10 minutes.

Despite the task, Rowland is confident.

“I feel a lot more comfortable with this workout than I did last week’s,” he says before the WOD. Rowland says he thrives in the mid-to-longer domains and is pleased with his performance thus far in the Open. By contrast, Pamanian feels some frustration.

“I wish I’d done better so far,” she says.

When the clock starts, Rowland, Pamanian and Froning go head-to-head on 11.4. Rowland finishes with 112 reps, Pamanian notches 97, and Froning achieves the top performance with 167 reps, earning him a top-five worldwide ranking on the workout. Afterward, the athletes share their post-workout impressions.

“This is basically to see where I am at in my training, see how I compare to everybody else, see if what I’m doing is working for me,” Froning explains.

Rich says he’ll make adjustments as needed, but he’s right near the top of the overall leaderboard, so it looks like his training is dialed right in.

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4 Comments on “Taking on the CrossFit Open: Part 4”

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It amazes me that even though Rich doesn't have the biggest clean and jerk or back squat, or even the most max pullups (according to last years stats) he still comes out of the hopper as an insanely well rounded athlete with a very high work capacity. Looking forward to seeing more of him. I'd love to see a Sevan documentary on this guy and his training.

I deeply respect the fact that his stated intent is to bring glory to Christ. When you perform at his level, it is very easy to become self-exalting. It is refreshing to hear that he desires to be Christ exalting. Praise God! Keep up the good work Rich!

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7

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